Rainbows already working
to overcome injuries

After one week of practice, the Hawaii basketball team may not need the "Hello, my name is ... " stickers any more, but the Rainbow Warriors are still very much in the process of getting to know each other.

The Rainbows completed their first full week of practice yesterday encouraged by their progress since Midnight Ohana, but aware that there's still much to be learned.

"It's all new for me and we've been adding a lot of stuff, it's just been boom, boom, boom," said first-year point guard Deonte Tatum.

"They've been throwing a lot at us. Some guys pick it up faster than others. I'm still working at it, but you can definitely see from the first day they put in the plays to now, you can see the improvement. It's not where it needs to be by a long shot, but it's definitely coming."

Tatum is one of five new scholarship players on the UH roster this season and the team's experience factor has dipped early in practice due to injuries and illness.

Senior swingman Vaidotas Peciukas underwent successful surgery Friday to repair a tear in the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and center Milos Zivanovic missed much of the week with the flu.

The Rainbows took another hit late in yesterday's practice at the Stan Sheriff Center when forward Julian Sensley turned his right ankle and limped off the court. The injury to the preseason All-Western Athletic Conference pick was considered minor.

"I know he wants to be out here just as bad if not worse than anyone," senior forward Jeff Blackett said. "So whether he sits out a couple days or whatever, he'll be back before you know it."

When Sensley went out, the Rainbows were left with three players who were on the squad last season -- Blackett, sophomore Bobby Nash and senior Jake Sottos.

A year ago, Blackett was one of the newcomers trying to get his bearings in the UH offense, relying on veteran Phil Martin for guidance. With a full season behind him and Martin now a member of the program's alumni, Blackett finds himself in the role of teacher rather than student.

"Last year I was asking (Martin) everything and this year people are asking me. It's nice to be able to help out in that sense," Blackett said.

As the newcomers get adjusted to the team's patterns, the 'Bows are using the early-season practices to get acquainted with the tendencies of their teammates.

"It's getting used to how each other plays, when you see a guy's eyes you know what he's going to do," transfer guard Matt Gibson said. "We're still trying to get a feel for each other, but for a week together, I'd say we're coming along pretty good.

"I know coach isn't going to let us have a day off -- maybe if we were a little more experienced he would, but not right now. We've got a long road ahead of us."

UH head coach Riley Wallace said he hasn't defined a first or second unit yet as he experiments with various combinations of newcomers and returnees, and has been pleased with the team's overall effort over the past week.

"The guys are working," Wallace said. "The new ones you have to teach intensity. They don't have the intensity it takes to play at our level. But they're learning, they're getting better."

Said Tatum: "We'll just keep working hard and the coaches are going to keep pushing, so we'll get there."